Teach Like a Pirate Pirating Education: Increasing Engagement and

Enthusiasm in both Teachers and Students

BCTC Study GroupSpring 2019

Melissa Miller, Kelsey Acker, Kayla Pokorak & Natalie Zgoda

P PASSIONIn order for all members of the classroom to be engaged and learning, both the teacher and the students need to be excited about what they are learning.

Ways to promote Passion include: ● Keep content that you are passionate about in mind - what topics do you

love to teach? ● Consider your professional passion. Why do you love teaching? Keep this

in mind when you’re teaching things that you’re not necessarily excited about.

● Lastly, consider ways in which you can bring your personal passion - and the passions of your students into your class.

Ultimately, showing students that you are excited about learning and sharing the topic with them will engage them as learners and lead to more successful learning.

I IMMERSION In order for all members of the classroom to be engaged and learning, both the teacher and the students need to be immersed in their instruction/learning.

Ways to promote Immersion include: ● Be involved● Be present ● Be an active participate in the classroom ● Demonstrate to the students that you are invested in the content/lesson

Ultimately, being present in both mind and body throughout the entirety of a lesson will promote student engagement and “buy in.”

R RAPPORTPeriod 7 Quarterly Exam Analysis : 2018 - 2019

In order for students to be successful in the classroom, the teacher needs to have a positive relationship with students.

Ways to promote Rapport include: ● Try to connect your lessons to what students are already interested in - students

will be more engaged if they can relate to what they are learning.● Use time before school, passing time, lunch, breaks, and/or time after school to

connect with students - have conversations to find student interests.● If you can, attend student sporting events and any extra-curricular activities.● Earn student trust by creating a safe and supportive environment.● Ensure you students can achieve success - let them know you believe in them and

that they can do this

Ultimately, the teacher should develop techniques to avoid behavior management battles rather than techniques to win those battles.

A ASK AND ANALYZEIn order for all members of the classroom to be engaged and learning, both the teacher and the students need to ask and analyze questions to activate their creative side.

Ways to promote creativity include: ● Create a vision of what you want. ● Define the goals you want to achieve.● Design a system to capture ideas.

○ Keep it simple and easily accessible. ● Use the failures as feedback.

Ultimately, the teacher should encourage students to engage in the world and feed into their curiosity.

T TRANSFORMATION“PROVIDE AN UNCOMMON EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR STUDENTS AND THEY WILL

REWARD YOU AN UNCOMMON EFFORT AND ATTITUDE” ~ Dave Burgess

In order for all members of the classroom to be engaged and learning, students need to feel the learning experience/content being presented in your classroom is different from the rest.

Ways to promote Transformation include: ● Asking yourself - “If your students didn’t have to be there, would you be teaching to

an empty room?” (pg. 58) ○ Would the students come by choice?

● Asking yourself - “Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?” (pg. 59)○ Are they worth your time and your students time? Are you raising the bar?

● Promote creativity, embrace uniqueness, support personal strengths, and include choice.

E ENTHUSIASM“NOTHING GREAT WAS EVER ACHIEVED WITHOUT ENTHUSIASM.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

In order for students to be engaged in the classroom, the teacher must be enthusiastic about what they are teaching. In return, the students will feed off of that and be enthusiastic about the lesson as well.

Ways to promote Enthusiasm include: ● Think about how to change your physiology - Do you want to be powerful?

Confident? Try to move and act the way you want to come across.● Focus on the positive - do not let negative aspects in the classroom change your

mood. Focus on the positives and feed off of what empowers you.● Try to model your enthusiasm - it will rub off on students and encourage

engagement in the lesson.

Ultimately, excellent teachers begin with having passion for what is being taught and end with enthusiasm while instructing the lesson.

Crafting Engaging Lessons

The next section discusses the how of implementing the PIRATE method of

teaching into your lessons.

Presentational HooksEngage your learners by drawing them into the content, right from the start.

Kinesthetic Hooks

Consider how you can incorporate movement into your lessons. Movement can help re-energize a class and enhance learning.

● How can I get students out of their seats?

● Can students use gestures or movements while seated?

● How can I re-imagine this lesson so students can walk around?

Allowing for movement will help student engagement.

Artistic Hooks

Provide students with the opportunity to engage with art and music. Students need to be able to express their creativity while learning.

● How can students represent material in a non-linguistic way?

● Can students review by creating visuals?

● How can I use music to aid my presentation?

● Can I use music as students enter the room?

Presentational HooksEngage your learners by drawing them into the content, right from the start.

Inspirational Hooks

Consider how you can incorporate real-world connections into your lessons.

● How can I incorporate the hobbies and outside interests of my students into this material?

● What type of life-changing lesson can be incorporated into the content?

● What current events are related to this lesson?

Students will be more engaged if lessons show relevance.

Classroom Environment Hooks

Provide a classroom environment that will allow your students to interact with the lesson and with their peers.

● How can I transform my room to create the ultimate atmosphere for this lesson?

● What can I write on my board that will spark curiosity or interest?

● How can I consistently keep the audience feeling involved?

Student involvement creates student engagement.

Presentational HooksEngage your learners by drawing them into the content, right from the start.

Storytelling and Participation Hooks

● How can I create interest with a captivating story?

● How can I use facial expressions, dramatic pauses, and gestures to improve the delivery of instruction?

● Can I break down the barrier between teacher and class and work with students?

● Is there a different place I can present information from?

Using interesting stories and moving around the room will add increased energy to the class environment.

Entertainment and Technology Hooks

● Can I create a competition-style lesson formatted after a reality show, fictional story or trope?

● How can I add a contest or challenge to my lesson?

● What authentic technology can be incorporated?

● What demonstrations can I use to aid in understanding?

Creating an environment that is positive and empowering will show students they can overcome challenges and be successful people.

The Awkward Question:“Do You Want to be great?”

● Being great opens a window of opportunities and experiences for your students.

● Your greatness will be contagious to those with whom you work. ● Greatness doesn’t happen over night. ● It requires a never-ending commitment to improving your self and pursuing

excellence. ● Allow this journey for greatness to ignite your fire. ● Don’t let anyone’s negativity drag you down.

“Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ~Mark Twain

Where to start1. Do not be afraid to fail2. Realize that you do not have to have it all figured out3. Know perfection is an impossible goal4. Manage time efficiently5. Understand there will be criticism

“The best way to overcome fear is to take action” (167). In order to be a successful teacher, you must be willing to take the first step and jump into the unknown. Do not be afraid of obstacles; with these strategies you can overcome them.

Finding a Crew“I NOT ONE USE ALL THE BRAINS THAT I HAVE, BUT ALL THE BRAINS THAT I CAN BORROW.”

~ WOODROW WILSON

● Make connections - not only with other teachers but with as many positive people as possible. You never know what an idea will “spark” or a beneficial connection will be made.

● Collaboration is key!!! Collaboration does not mean you agree on best practice or what to teach. Collaboration is to share successes and ideas to promote a positive learning/teaching experience.

● Avoid “Killaboration” at all costs. Never use collaboration time to “vent” or “complain.”

Living The Pirate Life in Your Content area

Specific ideas to incorporate into core classes

ScienceP - LEt students in on the secret- why do you teach science? Share your reasons!I - DO the experiments side by side with your students. share your own results!R - different Ideas/hypotheses are part of the Scientific process - It is okay. A - Design Science Experiments/Activities with choice and a common goalT - You’re teaching science - do something shocking and engaging!!!E - Science is fun!!! Make it that way!!!

MathP - Explain to students why you like math and why you chose to teach itI - Use examples in class that students would use everyday (like money!)R - Build relationships with students so they know it’s ok to make mistakesA - have students work together to create projects based on their learningT - sell what you are teaching: students will use this in real lifeE - Change the stigma and show that you like math - be enthusiastic!

ELAP - Share your favorite books, stories and pieces of writing. I - Show your emotions as you read - laugh, cry, get angry!R - Collaboratively journal - Write & Respond About topics of their choice. A - Set Reading and Writing Goals each marking period. T - Act, sing, dance - provide students opportunities to show what they know! E - Engage! if you’re bored, students will be too.

Social Studies P - Present the factual and historical information in a way that allows students to use their Creative talentsI - Dress up as Historical Figures R - Reenact Historical Events with your studentsA - Present the Intended outcome and allow students to decide how they will reach the outcome T - Use engaging Storytelling throughout lessons to Draw in your studentsE - Light Yourself on fire with enthusiasm

Set Sail! Burgess, Dave. (2012) Teach like a pirate: increase student

engagement, boost your creativity, and transformyour life as an educator. San Diego, Calif. : DaveBurgess Consulting, Inc.